The Mosquito Trail, Our First Adirondack Adventure
May - June 2025
A Loop with Unexpected Challenges
Our introduction to the Adirondack Mountains began with the Deer Pond Loop, in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest just east of Tupper Lake. On paper, the 7.3-mile hike sounded like an easy one, but in reality, we had some challenges to overcome.
The day started out perfect, with pleasant hiking weather, cool, around 57°F, and cloudy. The first stretch of the trail was flat, but several muddy stretches required acrobatics to avoid wet feet. Near the pond, we had to climb a bit, but nothing we couldn’t handle. The lake views, however, were a bit underwhelming; we only had limited views of Deer Pond itself. A little further down the trail, we saw a small, unnamed pond, though. Although it looked like it was raining, the little rings on the water were actually swarms of mosquitoes dancing on the surface.
And those were a second challenge during this hike. The deeper we went, the more alive the woods became with them. We were completely covered in clothing and used bug spray, thankfully, but even so, they made sure we didn’t stay in one place for too long. Another hiker we met wore a net over her head, and we realized we were so underdressed in this buggy wilderness.
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We started this hike with different expectations, hoping to have a lunch break with a view, but the constant mosquitoes kept us on the move. By the time we finished, we concluded this hike had been a great 3-hour workout through the woods. However, this time, the hike wasn’t about views or dramatic landscapes, but about overcoming hiking challenges.
